Ukraine foreign policy

Interblog until 31st January, 2005

2005-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

UKRAINE DECEMBER 2004, decision makers , foreign policy , media , special

Foreigners sentenced in Ukraine for attempted arms contraband

2005-01-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

( Itar-TASS )

Kiev’s Pechorsky district court on Monday sentenced four foreigners to different terms in prison for attempted arms contraband to Iraq.

The Ukrainian Security Service averted the deal to buy Ukrainian arms for Iraq, which involved citizens of Greece, a citizen of Pakistan, and a citizen of Iraq. ... ( more )

The process of Ukrainian forces withdrawal from Iraq must not be delayed, - Viktor Yanukovich

2005-01-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

( Yanukovich Press Service via Donbass Voters Committee )

Viktor Yanukovich, the candidate for the President of Ukraine, says that the process of Ukrainian peacemakers withdrawal from Iraq must not be delayed. Such comments he gave with regard to Ukrainian forces withdrawal from Iraq, - reported the press service of the candidate headquarters.

The comments were the following:
«Adam Ereli, the representative of USD State Department, said in public that the resolution on Ukrainian peacemaking contingent withdrawal from Iraq approved by the Ukrainian Parliament should be made by the new President of Ukraine and the new Government.
Richard Bager, another American official, repeated this statement and underlined: Washington is expecting that the new Ukrainian power will be consulting USA as for Ukrainian forces withdrawal from Iraq. Richard Bager also underlined that the Parliament resolution is not obligatory.

Certainly, I am not inclined to interpret such statements of American Government as some kind of instructions to Viktor Yuschenko, the candidate to the Ukrainian Presidency, who was actively supported by Americans during the elections.

I am worried about another issue - such statements may result in prolonging the Ukrainian forces stay in Iraq. This means that we are not secured against new tragedies, new deaths of our soldiers and officers staying there.

Today everybody knows that the war in Iraq is an endless conflict. Even if several months ago there was some hope for the situation stabilization in the country, now it is quite clear that these murderous events can last for indefinite period of time.

Can we guarantee now that this will not produce a generation of morally and physically disabled people, like it was with Afghan war?

Who will feed Ukrainian orphans, consol widows and mothers who lost their sons? Will this be the same case as with Afghan-invalids asking for some assistance who used to hear the answer: «We did not send you there»…

In my time I made every effort for social protection of military men. We also managed to provide Ukrainian military men in Iraq a status of the war participants. This will secure their own and their families protection.

I will keep on taking care of military men’s families requiring social support as far as my strength and abilities will be allowing (e.g. we are already setting up social assistance committees including those for military men participating in Iraq war). I will be striving for, say, implementation of a program providing all military men’s families with housing, etc…

I might be speaking too emotionally today, but it is special day. A very sorrowful cargo is arriving to Borispol airport before the very New Year Eve (which is celebrated by Ukrainian population according to the old calendar style too) - it is eight Ukrainian soldiers in zinc coffins. As we know, another six wounded soldiers are still staying in hospital, and one of them is in poor condition.

This is a very heavy loss and a very serious reason to speak about politicians’ responsibility for delaying the process of our forces withdrawal from Iraq.

That is why expressing sincere and deep condolence to families of the dead and suffered, I call politicians to leave their ambitions and narrow interests in coming to the power at any price and to think about people, those very Ukrainians who were given such colorful and multi-word promises on squares».

( source )

Ukraine’s Yushchenko Staff Promises No Threat for Russia

2005-01-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

( MosNews )

Ukrainian president-elect Viktor Yushchenko’s ally Yulia Timoshenko has said the new Western-oriented administration will not pose a threat to Russia, while Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has yet to congratulate Yushchenko with a victory that was officially announced Monday night.

“With Viktor Yushchenko as president of Ukraine, (Russia’s) fundamental interests will not suffer,” Yulia Tymoshenko, in the running to be named Ukraine’s new prime minister, wrote in Russia’s Vedemosti newspaper on Tuesday.

“On the contrary, there will be new opportunities to promote (those interests),” said Tymoshenko.

“On the economy, Ukraine and Russia are destined to be partners of the first order for the next few decades,” she wrote in the newspaper.

Putin backed former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, who won the invalid Nov. 21 vote, but lost the Dec. 26 vote. Of the new election, he has only said that the next Ukrainian leader should be “pragmatic”.

Moscow is visibly concerned about the westward integration of Ukraine, which heavily relies on Russian gas for its industry, situated in the Russian-speaking east that backed Yanukovich.

( source )

Ukraine Orders Troops Removed From Iraq

2005-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - President Leonid Kuchma on Monday ordered the foreign and defense ministers to develop a plan for withdrawing Ukraine's troops from Iraq within six months, the Interfax news agency reported. ... ( more )

Press releases Q4/2004

2004-12-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

( Ukrinform )

December

November

October

September

August

July

2004-07-30 # 95
2004-07-29 # 94
2004-07-28 # 93
2004-07-27 # 92
2004-07-23 # 91
2004-07-22 # 90
2004-07-21 # 89
2004-07-20 # 88
2004-07-16 # 87
2004-07-15 # 86
2004-07-14 # 85
2004-07-13 # 84
2004-07-06 # 83
2004-07-02 # 82
2004-07-01 # 81

June

2004-06-25 # 80
2004-06-24 # 79
2004-06-23 # 78
2004-06-22 # 77
2004-06-18 # 76
2004-06-17 # 75
2004-06-16 # 74
2004-06-15 # 73
2004-06-11 # 72
2004-06-10 # 71
2004-06-09 # 70
2004-06-08 # 69
2004-06-04 # 68
2004-06-03 # 67
2004-06-02 # 66

Kuchma for Ukraine troops dispatch to Israel-Syria border

2004-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

( Itar-Tass )

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has proposed to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) to support the decision of the head of state to dispatch Ukrainian peacekeeping troops to the zone of the Israeli-Syrian conflict for the participation in U.N. forces operations to monitor the process of disengagement of Israeli and Syrian troops, it is said in a text of a draft law registered in the parliament. ... ( more )

Foreign Ministry: time not right to discuss withdrawal of Ukraine's troops from Iraq

2004-12-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

( Interfax Ukraine )

Foreign Ministry: time not right to discuss withdrawal of Ukraine's troops from Iraq. ... ( more )

Colonel Liashenko refused to land the planes with Russian special sub-units on board (updated)

2004-11-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

(Press service of Victor Yushchenko's central headquarters)

Colonel Liashenko refused to land the planes with Russian special sub-units on board (updated)

According to specified information given to Victor Yushchenko’s Central headquarters, today two planes have arrived at the Boryspil airport with the fighters of the Russian special sub-unit “Vitiaz” on board.

Colonel Liashenko, the second in command of aircraft team in rear, who was charged with serving these planes refused to execute the order. He has sent in his papers.
Nevertheless the planes landed at the “Boryspil” airport. The fighters of Russia’s special sub-units were brought to Kyiv. Their location is still unknown.

The Central headquarters have informed the SSU head Ihor Smeshko about it in order to inquire into this fact. Besides, they have warned the heads of the Security Service about the necessity of taking measures to protect colonel Liashenko whose life is in danger.

Half an hour later the head of the military secret service of the SSU has confirmed by phone that colonel Liashenko is in service of the Boryspil aircraft team and he had actually sent his documents. Yet he refuted information about the landing of two Russian airplanes at the Boryspil airport.

( source )

Cannon-Fodder Trade or Humanitarian Mission?

2004-11-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

( GlavRed by Serhiy Protsenko )

The death of two more Ukrainian peacekeepers April 28 in Iraq once again is once again calling in question the expediency of Ukrainian soldiers’ stay in hot spots of the planet. ... ( more )

Washington's Action Ukraine Coalition holds briefing

2004-04-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

( Press release )

Washington, D.C. April 22 — According to Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs in the U.S. State Department and the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer, the U.S. vision for Ukraine continues to be one of "a stable, independent, democratic country with an increasingly strong market economy and with increasingly strong ties to Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions." ... ( more )

War in Iraq: Consequences for Ukraine

2004-02-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

( GlavRed by Yevhen Zherebetsky)

By joining the US-led war against Iraq, Ukraine found itself involved in quite a dangerous game led by a few super-states. The following article is dedicated to discussions on the issue and is but a possible version of the essence and objectives of the Iraqi war.

Undoubtedly, the war against Iraq was started and is conducted in violation of universally accepted public norms, of which good evidence is UN’s refusal to render the mandate for military activities against this country. ... ( more )

Look Into Arms Exports

2002-02-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

(Christian Science Monitor by Taras Kuzio)

TORONTO - Just a few years ago, Ukraine was the apple of the West's eye. Nestled in the strategic heart of Central Europe, the former Soviet republic had transferred its nuclear weapons to Russia, started economic reforms, and signed a defense charter with NATO. ... ( more )

Ukraine gunning for arms sales

2001-08-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

( Deutche Presse -Agentur via Arms Trade Newswire )

Ukraine is selling tons of weapons these days: new or used, high-tech or low, suitable for police actions or middle-sized wars, sometimes legally, and sometimes with very few questions asked.
Macedonia is only the most recent Ukrainian arms shopper. Faced with sometimes U.S.-armed Albanian insurgents better equipped than the Macedonian army, Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski this summer turned to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma for more firepower, delivered cheap and fast. ... ( more )